What is the current child death toll from flu in the US?

As of January 1, 2026, the nationwide child death toll from flu has reached nine.

Which states are experiencing high flu activity?

Colorado, Louisiana, South Carolina, and New York are currently identified as flu hot spots.

Is the current flu vaccine effective against H3N2?

There are concerns that the dominant H3N2 strain may be less aligned with this year's vaccine, potentially reducing its effectiveness.

Home / Health / Super Flu Surge: Child Deaths Climb to Nine

Super Flu Surge: Child Deaths Climb to Nine

1 Jan

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Summary

Nationwide child flu death toll reaches nine.
New York and Colorado report record flu hospitalizations.
H3N2 strain may be less affected by current vaccines.

Super Flu Surge: Child Deaths Climb to Nine

The number of child deaths attributed to the flu has climbed to nine across the United States, with recent reports from Ohio and Kentucky confirming their first pediatric flu fatalities. These states join a growing list of over a dozen experiencing surging flu cases.

Several regions are facing unprecedented levels of severe illness. New York is reporting its highest weekly case count ever, while Colorado has set a new record for flu-related hospitalizations in a single week. The H3N2 influenza A subtype is primarily responsible for these severe outcomes.

Concerns are mounting over the effectiveness of this year's flu vaccine against the dominant H3N2 strain, which emerged widely after vaccine formulations were finalized. Despite this, health officials emphasize the importance of vaccination, with millions of Americans having already received their shots this season.

Disclaimer: This story has been auto-aggregated and auto-summarised by a computer program. This story has not been edited or created by the Feedzop team.